First timer! Help/ tips/ advice

[JayP1983]

It'll probably be just the once given the difficulty getting tickets! Saying that this is the first year I tried to buy them and managed to get them!

[rumpola]

9 hours ago, J1990 said:

Can I put my dignity in there?

Yep, it'll be right next to my self respect.

[TheBurns]

Go see the wheel of four tunes at some point

[JayP1983]

Another question! Drive during the night from Tuesday into Wednesday and arrive Wednesday morning or leave Wednesday morning arrive at tea time?

[bexj]

Depends on your stamina.  An all night drive, straight into full on festival can break you....but its doable if you can be disciplined enough to get some good rest on Wednesday night.  We tend to set off at 4am, arrive on site for 9ish, and depending on queues, usually pitched up by lunchtime.

[stuwilky]

11 hours ago, JayP1983 said:

Another question! Drive during the night from Tuesday into Wednesday and arrive Wednesday morning or leave Wednesday morning arrive at tea time?

As bex said the all nighter can break you, and you dont want to be broken in the early days as by Sunday you'll be struggling!

In the past we've broken up the drive by tackling some of it on Tuesday afternoon/evening and then either camped or found a cheap travel lodge and bedded down for a decent kip and a final shower before finishing off Weds morning.  We've also driven all the way and camped at a campsite in Glastonbury town the night before as well (up at 8Weds morning.  30 min driving and then pitched by 10.30 / 11!)

[dexydexy]

13 hours ago, JayP1983 said:

Another question! Drive during the night from Tuesday into Wednesday and arrive Wednesday morning or leave Wednesday morning arrive at tea time?

I think it depends on where you want to camp and how much you want to camp there. For example if you really want to camp in pennards you're going to need to be in the queue ASAP. If you're not fussed or planning on camping in pylon etc. you can turn up later.

[Wanderlei]

TIP: Put your underwear in a plastic bag. If, heaven forbid, it chucks it down and your tent leaks, at least your undies will be dry.

[Lou1983]

14 hours ago, JayP1983 said:

Another question! Drive during the night from Tuesday into Wednesday and arrive Wednesday morning or leave Wednesday morning arrive at tea time?

Also coming from Scotland, we usually leave late morning on the Tuesday and take our time on the way down.  The car park opens at 9pm so we get parked up and have a few drinks and a bit of a stroll.  With a pillow and sleeping bag I usually get a good 7 hours sleep then I'm fresh for getting in, the mammoth drive then going straight in will fuck your day up.  

[mjfromthelane]

1 hour ago, dexydexy said:

I think it depends on where you want to camp and how much you want to camp there. For example if you really want to camp in pennards you're going to need to be in the queue ASAP. If you're not fussed or planning on camping in pylon etc. you can turn up later.

What's so special about Pennards? Have no knowledge of camping areas.

[shoptildrop]

1 hour ago, Wanderlei said:

TIP: Put your underwear in a plastic bag. If, heaven forbid, it chucks it down and your tent leaks, at least your undies will be dry.

I'd say pack all your clothes in bin bags especially if forecast to rain, bags can be utilized later for smell clothes whatever...

[GlastoAwe]

Loads of good advice already. Just to reiterate the size of the site and to bear that in mind when packing and planning any activities and that when the music starts properly on the Friday the people traffic in some of the main walkways is mental! Bring good comfy footwear that will withstand lots of mud! 

I like spending Wednesday or Thursday afternoon chilling above the park as you can literally feel the whole site buzzing!

The SE corner is mindblowing and definitely worth checking out at least one night. 

Avoid toilets near the main stages wherever possible. 

If you can afford to, plan to buy all your food there - the quantity and quality of different food outlets is incredible and what you've experienced at other festivals probably won't come close, I'm salivating just thinking!

Have the best time!!!

[dexydexy]

4 hours ago, mjfromthelane said:

What's so special about Pennards? Have no knowledge of camping areas.

Personally, I don't like it as it's crowded and noisy. But if you want a party vibe and plan to stay up late every night then it's great. 

[Madyaker]

Another first timer here. I don't intend on sleeping much at all to be honest, at festivals I drink a lot and indulge in other substances as well so perhaps Pennards would be best? Id imagine it fills up fast though and I'm in a group of 11 and we won't be arriving until around 1pm on Wednesday. Any suggestions on which would be the best campsite to head to would be appreciated. I'm also wondering about footwear. Obviously wellies are best if its muddy but they aren't very comfortable for walking long distances. Would hiking boots be best? I'll be able to bring the pair I'm wearing and one other type of footwear max I reckon. Were flying over with all our gear an gonna try and have almost everything in my 80 litre rucksack. What are prices for food and drink like at the festival? At Irish festivals you tend to pay over the odds for food and pints are usually a complete rip off, is Glastonbury the same?

[Digital Monkey (Womad)]

12 minutes ago, Madyaker said:

. Obviously wellies are best if its muddy but they aren't very comfortable for walking long distances. Would hiking boots be best?

I'm another first timer but as a veteran of other festivals I would suggest wellies are not ideal. If weather is awful and muddy I would definitely go for a good pair of "broken in" hiking boots. However, as practical as they are for getting about in the mud, they are not ideal for dancing/jumping around like a loon so maybe a decent pair of trail shoes i.e. hiking boots but without the ankle support.

[bexj]

40 minutes ago, Madyaker said:

Another first timer here. I don't intend on sleeping much at all to be honest, at festivals I drink a lot and indulge in other substances as well so perhaps Pennards would be best? Id imagine it fills up fast though and I'm in a group of 11 and we won't be arriving until around 1pm on Wednesday. Any suggestions on which would be the best campsite to head to would be appreciated. I'm also wondering about footwear. Obviously wellies are best if its muddy but they aren't very comfortable for walking long distances. Would hiking boots be best? I'll be able to bring the pair I'm wearing and one other type of footwear max I reckon. Were flying over with all our gear an gonna try and have almost everything in my 80 litre rucksack. What are prices for food and drink like at the festival? At Irish festivals you tend to pay over the odds for food and pints are usually a complete rip off, is Glastonbury the same?

You'll get nowhere near Pennards by that time on Wednesday,  but don't forget that unlike many other festivals there is entertainment pretty much 24/7 and so the campsites are actually quite quiet at night!  I wouldnt get too hung up on where the best place is...everywhere is a trek from somewhere...

Hiking boots and gaiters are good for really deep mud, i usually wear DMs which cope with all but the most shitty weather, and usually take a pair of walking shoes too.

Food is about £8 (€9.30) for a main meal, but there is a wide variety both cheaper and more expensive.  Lager/cider/beer is about £4.80 a pint, not sure about spirits. Don't forget you can take your own booze everywhere at Glastonbury. 

As for sleeping, its 5 days...with 10 miles+ walking a day.....youll sleep like a baby!

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, bexj said:

Don't forget you can take your own booze everywhere at Glastonbury. 

And if you buy some spirits on the way, you need to buy some plastic bottles to decant into eg bottles of water or whatever

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

On 08/04/2016 at 8:41 PM, rumpola said:

Yep, it'll be right next to my self respect.

Oh my dignity and self respect - haven't seen them in years, the little blighters.

[sloseph]

11 hours ago, Madyaker said:

Another first timer here. I don't intend on sleeping much at all to be honest, at festivals I drink a lot and indulge in other substances as well so perhaps Pennards would be best? Id imagine it fills up fast though and I'm in a group of 11 and we won't be arriving until around 1pm on Wednesday. Any suggestions on which would be the best campsite to head to would be appreciated. I'm also wondering about footwear. Obviously wellies are best if its muddy but they aren't very comfortable for walking long distances. Would hiking boots be best? I'll be able to bring the pair I'm wearing and one other type of footwear max I reckon. Were flying over with all our gear an gonna try and have almost everything in my 80 litre rucksack. What are prices for food and drink like at the festival? At Irish festivals you tend to pay over the odds for food and pints are usually a complete rip off, is Glastonbury the same?

you'll not get 11 of you camped at Pennards at that time but you really don't need to, if you like to party you'll want to be away from your tent as much as possible, it's odd compared to other festivals but you really do want to spend as much time away form your tent as possible

 

for footwear invest in a pair of good waterproof walking boots now and wear them everywhere you can between now and June to break them in

food prices range between £5 and £10 depending on what you want, if you like Veggie food you can dine out for £5 and get great grub, if you like some of the finer things in life you can splash out and get yourself some lobster

pints are £4 to £5 depending where you are and what your drinking

[shoptildrop]

15 hours ago, Digital Monkey (Womad) said:

I'm another first timer but as a veteran of other festivals I would suggest wellies are not ideal. If weather is awful and muddy I would definitely go for a good pair of "broken in" hiking boots. However, as practical as they are for getting about in the mud, they are not ideal for dancing/jumping around like a loon so maybe a decent pair of trail shoes i.e. hiking boots but without the ankle support.

believe me you can jump around like a loon in hiking boots, I do it every year

I would keep the ankle support as some of the terrain at Glastonbury is uneven, steep hills, ditches and stones to slip on - that ankle support can be a saviour!

[shuttlep]

my advice is

 

 

don't get too muntereed on night 1 and then face plant on the railway track and then have to go to see a nice nurse as your tooth went through your top lip.

 

then have to walk around for 5 days with massive scabs on your face, that make you look like you licked out a 17th century prostitute.

 

 

[richroet]

On 4/10/2016 at 10:42 AM, Wanderlei said:

TIP: Put your underwear in a plastic bag. If, heaven forbid, it chucks it down and your tent leaks, at least your undies will be dry.

underwear???

[richroet]

4 minutes ago, shoptildrop said:

believe me you can jump around like a loon in hiking boots, I do it every year

I would keep the ankle support as some of the terrain at Glastonbury is uneven, steep hills, ditches and stones to slip on - that ankle support can be a saviour!

decent boots is the way forward, can handle all but the worst of any mud (not that there will be any this year) and much more friendly on the feet than wellies

[Madyaker]

I don't like wearing boots at festivals they're too heavy. I have a pair of wellies which are for sailing so they have a proper sole and good grip but by the end of Electric Picnic last year they were making my feet sore and that's only 3 days. Just ordered a pair of these should do the trick I reckon. I know I won't be spending long at my tent but what are people's opinions on camping chairs? At festivals where you can't bring your own booze into the arena they are kind of important because you tend to spend more time in the campsite drinking and sitting on the ground sucks especially if its wet. But were flying over so trying to minimize the amount of gear we have. I'm thinking if I need one I'll just buy it over there.

[tommywillo]

30 minutes ago, Madyaker said:

I don't like wearing boots at festivals they're too heavy. I have a pair of wellies which are for sailing so they have a proper sole and good grip but by the end of Electric Picnic last year they were making my feet sore and that's only 3 days. Just ordered a pair of these should do the trick I reckon. I know I won't be spending long at my tent but what are people's opinions on camping chairs? At festivals where you can't bring your own booze into the arena they are kind of important because you tend to spend more time in the campsite drinking and sitting on the ground sucks especially if its wet. But were flying over so trying to minimize the amount of gear we have. I'm thinking if I need one I'll just buy it over there.

You can buy them at the festival,

Great camping shop that sells anything like that